You Call Me Monster

Chanyeol's blood boiled as Chul approached them, hands clasped behind his back. “This is quite a catch,” Chul said, looking at each one as he passed. “I’m sure even you didn’t expect such a prize, Chief.”

A slender man climbed the steps, joining Chul in front of the others. “You certainly kept your word,” he said, peering at them.

Chul is working with the police?! Chanyeol thought incredulously, shock chilling his spine.

“Throw your weapons down and come quietly. There may be some leniency for you if you do.”

This can’t be happening, Chanyeol thought desperately, searching for any possible escape. “What is this?” he demanded. “Why have you done this?”

Chul raised his eyebrows, like a parent addressing a rude child. “I only did what any good citizen would do. I helped apprehend a gang of criminals before they caused any more destruction. We have to protect the city from violent people like you.”

“Throw down your weapons,” the police chief reiterated. Chanyeol glanced at Chen, hoping he had some sort of plan. Chen looked up at Sehun again, then tossed his Beretta down the steps.

“Chen!” Chanyeol exclaimed. Chen gave him a commanding look and Chanyeol sighed, throwing his gun down. “Excellent,” Chul said, smiling benignly. “I’m sure your cooperation will be noted.”

The chief snapped his fingers. “Cuff them,” he ordered.


******


Sehun watched the police move toward his men and his heart plummeted. I can’t let this happen, he thought, looking around despairingly. An idea occurred to him, fueled by desperation, but there was no time for alternatives. He took a running start and jumped off of the roof, flailing madly. He heard the spectators scream as he landed hard on the awning of the coffeeshop. The fabric ripped and he fell through the hole onto the sidewalk. Let’s hope that worked, he thought, groaning.


******


Chul turned toward the screams and Chen seized his chance, giving him a hard shove. Chul tumbled rapidly down the steps. Nari kicked the police chief’s knees and he quickly followed. “Scatter!” Chen barked, running down the left side of the steps. The distracted police officers weren’t expecting a charge and Chen plowed through them easily. “Get them!” he heard someone shout over the chaos. He sprinted for the end of the street, dodging and weaving desperately. Gyeong’s men had taken advantage of the distraction and were running in all directions, further confusing the harried police. One officer pulled his gun out and trained it on Chen, but someone kicked it out of his hands and knocked him down.

“Sehun!” Chen gasped, relieved. Sehun grabbed the gun and smiled at Chen. “I’m not dead yet,” he said, charging into the fray.


******


Baekhyun’s mind raced as the S.W.A.T. officer closed in on him, nightstick in hand. He was cornered between the station wall and the roadblock, out of ammunition and ideas. Come on, think! he thought frantically, dodging the officer’s initial swing. He threw his arm up and knocked the officer’s helmet loose, sending it flying. The man was surprisingly ordinary-looking, sweaty black hair plastered onto a nondescript face. He lunged at Baekhyun, trying to drive him down onto the sidewalk. Baekhyun’s empty gun flew out of his hand, clattering to the ground. The officer had a weight advantage and Baekhyun felt his knees buckle. He threw his hand out to catch himself and caught hold of his gun. He grabbed it instinctively and swung it at the officer’s head. It hit him with a loud thud and the officer fell, pinning Baekhyun under him. Baekhyun wriggled out, shoving the unconscious officer off of him. His head was bleeding, the blood pooling out onto the sidewalk, and Baekhyun felt a twinge of guilt. He looked down and caught sight of the station maintenance entrance, still ajar. An idea struck him and he caught hold of the officer, dragging him to the door.


******


Sehun ran through the mob, trying to catch sight of his men. Suho and Xiumin were standing on a police cruiser, slowly being overwhelmed by S.W.A.T. teams. Lay was in the grasp of two officers, struggling mightily. He caught sight of Chul and his blood boiled. He aimed his gun at him, but someone tackled him to the ground, his shot rocketing harmlessly into the sky. “No!” he yelled, his gun skittering away from him. They pulled his hands up and cuffed him tightly. “Get off of me! Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!” he barked, trying to wrest away from him.

“Stop resisting or we’ll be forced to shoot you!” one of the officers grunted, trying to keep hold of him. “I’d rather be shot,” Sehun spat.

One by one each of them was caught and brought to the middle of the street, completely encircled by policemen. All of them were battered from fighting, still struggling as they were brought forward. Lay had gone completely white, a dark stain growing on his leg. “Lay!” Nari cried, straining against her captors without success. “He’s wounded. You have to help him or he’ll die!”

“Let him die,” Chul said, coming into the circle. “A lowlife like that deserves no better.”

Kai roared and lunged for Chul, throwing his captors off of him. He landed a blow on Chul’s jaw before they dragged him away again, beating him with their nightsticks. They were merciless, each blow giving a resounding crack.

“Stop it!” Sehun yelled. “You’ll kill him!”

“Would you like to be next?” one of his captors hissed in his ear. Sehun’s heart wrenched as they continued beating Kai, his tears spilling over unchecked.

“Tears?” Chul asked, coming over to Sehun. He leaned down close enough to breathe on him. “No wonder I destroyed you so easily,” he whispered, smiling at him.

“I’ll kill you,” Sehun rasped. “I swear I’ll kill you.”

Chul sighed. “So emotional,” he said, straightening up. “You should be grateful that our excellent officers didn’t kill you.” He surveyed the group with a hint of satisfaction. “You’ll be allowed to live out your days in prison. Maybe you’ll even get to go outside once in a while.”

Sehun looked back at his men. I’m sorry, he thought, more tears running down his face. I tried to save you, and I failed. He looked at Nari, her own face streaked with tears. I failed you most of all.

“Take them to the detention center uptown,” the police chief ordered. “Use one of the armored vans. We don’t want another altercation.”

The officers hauled Sehun and the others to their feet. An unmarked black van pulled up just outside one of the roadblocks, glinting in the light. They were taken past the roadblock and one by one thrown into the back of the van. Sehun got up with difficulty and sat on one of the metal benches, the handcuffs hindering his movements. Kai was the last one, still struggling feebly as the officers shoved him into the van. The doors were bolted closed and the van began pulling away.

“Kai?” Nari asked, trying to lift him off of the floor. Chen and Xiumin helped her pull Kai onto the bench. “How bad is it?” she asked, trying to look him over in the dim light.

Kai smiled slightly, revealing bloody gums. “I never thought you’d be this concerned about me,” he wheezed. “Lay’s the favorite, remember?”

“Shut up,” Lay whispered, managing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

“Wait a minute,” Chanyeol said, looking up and down the benches. “Where’s Baekhyun?”

Alarm ran through Sehun’s body. “Did anyone see him during the fight?” he asked. Everyone shook their heads. “Maybe he got away,” Chanyeol said hopefully.

“Or he was killed,” Suho said grimly.

“Either one is better than this,” D.O said abruptly. “Alive or dead, at least he’s free.”

Sehun hung his head, squeezing his eyes shut. Where are you, Baekhyun?


******


Xiumin stared out the window, his mind heavy with despair. This is it. Chul finally won. Chul had been their enemy for a long time, but this was a whole new level of brutality. He probably knew about our plan from the start, he surmised.

The van turned down a side street and Xiumin perked up, still staring out the window. This isn’t the way to uptown, he realized. “Xiu? What is it?” Suho asked, looking at him intently. “Look,” Xiumin nodded at the window, “we aren’t going uptown.”

Everyone sat up at this, craning to see out. “He’s right,” Chen said, “we’re headed outside the city.”

“What does that mean?” Kai wondered aloud.

“It means this night isn’t over,” Sehun said quietly. “Stay alert.”

They got onto a highway, quickly leaving the city behind. They crossed the North Bank Bridge and Xiumin shivered, remembering the icy grip of the water below. They pulled into an abandoned factory lot, the fences rusted and broken. What is this place? Xiumin wondered.

The van pulled into an old loading bay and came to a stop. They heard the driver’s door open, then a screeching noise as someone pulled the loading bay door down. We’re shut in, Xiumin realized. He saw a S.W.A.T. member come around the side of the van to the back doors and he steeled himself. “Get ready,” Sehun whispered as the doors opened.

“Where are we?” Chanyeol demanded, jerking his head at the loading bay. The S.W.A.T. officer didn’t answer, just looked at him for several moments.

“What is this? Who are you?” Kai challenged. The officer pulled his helmet off, shaking his black hair out of his eyes. “A ‘thank you’ would be nice,” he mumbled, looking up at them.

“Baekhyun,” Xiumin breathed.

Notes